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Netflix Reportedly Used AI Generated Scene in The Eternaut Show to Cut Production Costs

Netflix Reportedly Used AI-Generated Scene in The Eternaut Show to Cut Production Costs

Netflix reportedly used AI to generate a scene of Argentina’s Buenos Aires, where a building was shown collapsing.

Written by Akash Dutta, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 21 July 2025 17:59 IST

Netflix Reportedly Used AI-Generated Scene in The Eternaut Show to Cut Production Costs

Photo Credit: Netflix

The co-CEO of Netflix said using AI was faster than traditional VFX

Highlights

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos reportedly said AI was used to cut costs
This is the first time Netflix has admitted to using AI scenes
The company recently unveiled AI-powered Netflix Ads Suite

Netflix has reportedly admitted to using artificial intelligence (AI) videos for one of its sci-fi shows. As per the report, the streaming giant generated a scene in the series 'The Eternaut' to show a collapsing building. The company revealed the information during its Q2 2025 earnings call. This is the first time Netflix has acknowledged using AI for the production of its original shows, highlighting that video generation AI models are now reaching the maturity where the technology can be used for large-scale movie and show production.

Netflix Uses AI for The Eternaut

According to The Verge, the co-CEO of the company, Ted Sarandos, admitted to using AI for one of the platform's original shows during the earnings call. The executive reportedly claimed that using AI for one of the scenes turned out to be faster than getting it done using traditional VFX. While the co-CEO said to have refrained from naming any AI models, he detailed the scene where AI-generated videos were used.

The Eternaut is the company's latest post-apocalyptic sci-fi mystery thriller, and its first season (comprising eight episodes) was released on the platform on April 30. In the series, a scene shows a building in Argentina's Buenos Aires collapsing as a train slams into it. Instead of shooting it traditionally and adding the effects via VFX, Netflix sought AI's help and the entire scene was generated synthetically.

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Sarandos reportedly told the shareholders, “That VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than it could have been completed with traditional VFX tools and workflows. Also, the cost of it just wouldn't have been feasible for a show in that budget.”

The Netflix co-CEO reportedly also highlighted that the company is now convinced of the capabilities of AI, and plans to use it again in the future to help creators “make films and series better, not just cheaper.”

Netflix is not the only production company to use AI in filmmaking. In 2024, epic period drama The Brutalist used AI to improve the actors' Hungarian dialogues. AI was also used to bring some architectural designs to reality. The movie was later nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars 2025.

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Further reading: Netflix, AI, Artificial Intelligence

Akash Dutta Email Akash Dutta

Akash Dutta is a Chief Sub Editor at Gadgets 360. He is particularly interested in the social impact of technological developments and loves reading about emerging fields such as AI, metaverse, and fediverse. In his free time, he can be seen supporting his favourite football club - Chelsea, watching movies and anime, and sharing passionate opinions on food. More